Machine for making vessels of fibrous pulp.



Na. 645,|4l. Patented Mar. l3, I900. A. STARK. MACHINE FOR MAKING VESSELS 0F FIBROUS PULP.

(Application filed Apr. 20, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

I 'verafor.

No. 645,I4I. Patented Mar. I3, I900.

A. STARK. MACHINE FOR MAKING VESSELS 0F I-IBRIJUS PULP.

(Application filed Apr. 20, 1899.)

(No Model.) 2 sham-s eet 2;

74% I l/w UNITED STATES I PATENT Erica.

ANDREIV STARK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR MAKING VESSELS OF FIBROUS PULP.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 645,141, dated March 13, 1900.

Application filed April 20, 1899.

To all whom it ntay concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW STARK, a cilizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Vessels of Fibrous Pulp, which are fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved machine for making fibrous-pulp vessels, the particular form of the parts being adapted to make an ordinary tapering pail or tub. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan at the plane 2 2 on Fig. 1,'the collapsible head being removed. Fig. 3 is a detail plan, on a large scale, of such collapsible head. Fig. 4 is a detail section at the curved line 4 4 on Fig. 3, represented as if such section were straightened or viewed radially from all points. 5 is a sectional plan at the plane of the line 5 5 on Fig. 1, showing the mechanism for withdrawing the head lateralIy-out of the path'of the formed body for the purpose of advancing the latter into the final compressing-jacket. Fig.6 is a detail section at the line 6 6 on Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a section at the line 7 7 on Fig.- 1. Fig. 8 is a section at the line 8 8 on Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is a perspective View ofaportion of one of the staves which form the side wall of the mold.

My improved machine is in the nature of a press having a base A' and a head A, connected by foul-strain rods or posts A A A A The ram-cylinder B is suitably mounted in and protrudes through the base A, and the ram 13 carries at its upper end a table which supports the parts constituting the mold or forming device for the vessel to be produced. This table comprises an annular plate 0, sup ported by a spider having a hub C, which is arranged to be disengageably attached to the upper end of the ram and bracket-arms 0 0 due. ,which extend upward and outwardlyfrom the hub to reach the annular plate 0, which is rigidly mounted on the upper ends of such arms. For the purpose of engaging the spider with the ram and disengaging it at will two locking pins or bolts C C are thrust through the hub and enter the ram, said bolts at their outer ends being connected to levers C and tightly down onto the shoulder b. Fig.

Serial No. 713,716. (N0 model.)

C, fulcrumed, respectively, at one end on two of the spider-arms C and at the other end connected by links C and C with a lever C by the movement of which both the bolts or pins may be simultaneously thrust into or withdrawn from the ram. This table further comprises a radially expansible and reducible circular table, occupying the opening in the circular plate C. It comprises a spider D, which is mounted at the center on the upper reduced head of the ram B, being lodged and stopped on the shoulder b and which has the spiderarrns D D connecting its central hub with an annularportion D the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained. This table comprises also a flange E, whose hub is interiorly threaded and screwed onto the upwardlythreaded end of the reduced portion of the ram, so that it serves to bind the spider D The upper surface of the annular portion D of the spider has radial grooves which afford guidance for the sectoral slides F F F, &c., alternate slides having thin sheet-metal plates F F secured to them and projecting as flanges onto the intervening slides, said intervening slides thus lapping the interval between the adjacent edges of the flanges, which do not meet except when the slides are all forced in radially to the limit, as hereinafter explained. This structure is similar to that of the upper reducible head, which is illustrated in detail in Figs. 3 and 4, by reference to which the construction may be seen.

.Springs F F secured at one end to the annulus D and at the other end to suitable lugs which project from the under side of the slides F F, &c., tend to retract the slides radially to the outer limit, where they are stopped 'both by the lugs f f, which'project downward from the inner ends of the slides and encounter the inner circumference of the annulus, and also by the inner circumference of the annular plate 0, whose opening is designed to be accurately occupied by the expansible table when fully expanded, as described. The upper surface of the flange E has a marginal rabbet e, which affords a seat for the lower end of the inner form G of the mold, said inner form being a perforated sheet-metal shell in the form of a cone-frustum conformed to the inner cavity of the tapering pail or tube.

H is an annular plate corresponding to the plate 0 and connected thereto by posts or strain-rods J J J J. The plate 0 is reduced in thickness by cutting away at the upper side at a central annular portion C and the outer annular portion which is not reduced has on the upper side a multiplicity of radial grooves O", alternating with ribs 0, and the plate H has on its lower side corresponding radial grooves and ribs H and IF. These corresponding grooves on the two parts afford seats and guidance for the opposite ends of the staves L L L, &c., which constitute a reducible and expansible jacket, forming the outer wall of the mold-cavity. Each stave L has a lip or flange L of thin sheet metal projectin g transversely-that is, at right angles to the radius from the inner vertical edge of the stavesaid lips lapping each other successively, as seen in Fig. 8. In order to afford secure attachment for these sheet-metal lips, in view of the fact that the staves themselves are virtually thin plates or ribs whose edge is the stave surface and that they 'are preferably comparatively thin, not exceeding an eighth of an inch in thickness, I bevel the inner edge of the staves, as seen at Z, making the bevel extend for a considerable distance back on the surface of the rib or stave, and I make the lip Z by folding the sheet metal of which itis composed at a considerable angle to cause the one portion to lap on the long bevel Z, while the other portion extends substantially at right angles to the radial face of the stave to lap the next lip, as described. The outer edges of thestaves are formed, as seen in Fig. 1, with cam slopes Z L and they are arranged to be forced inward radially, when the entire mold-form is moved upward in the press by means of rings M and N;\Vhl0h are secured to brackets P P P P, mounted on the strain-rods A Springs Q Q Q, &c., suitably connected at one end to one of the rings and by links Q Q, extending from the other end to the ribs or staves, respectively, tend to retract the latter outwardly and to hold them at an outer limit, the rings operating on the cam slopes of the ribs or staves to compel the latter to descend when they are thus retracted, as they are compelled to move inward when they are forced upward with respect to the rings, the links being arranged to permit such upward and downward movement consistently with the inward and outward movement of the staves.

The parts thus far described constitute the side and lower walls of the mold, its upper wall or head during the process of forming or shaping the vessel comprisinga central flangeplate R, which corresponds to the flange E, a spider, which consists of annular plate S and spider-arms S S, &c., connecting said annulus to a hub S and slides T T T, 850.,

corresponding in structure and function to.

the slides F F of the lowerhead of the mold. The annulus S has radial grooves s, as already described in respect to the annulus D, and the slides T T T, &o., are similarly guided in such grooves by the ribs t and are provided with similar springs U U U, &c., corresponding to the springs F F, 850., tending to retract the slides outward radially. The hub S of the spider is interiorly threaded and screwed onto the hub R of the flange-plate R. The hub is hollow or tubular and constitutes a continuation of a hollow stem V, which is screwed into the upper end of the hub S said hub thus constituting a coupling for uniting the stem to the flange-plate R, and thus to the entire head of the mold. The stem V is held and guided in the central casting W of a frame which comprises, in addition to said casting, three arms W, W and W which extend off from the frame and are terminated in eyes 10 w w, which slide on two parallel horizontal bars lV W which are secured to the strain rods or posts A A These bars extend at one side beyond or outside of the posts Afland the eyes 10 at the ends of the arms W W are lodged on the bars outside theposts, the eye at the end of the arm WV being lodged on one of the bars W between the posts. The frameinquestion, therefore, is adapted to slide on the bars so as to carry the central casting \V thereof and the entire head, which is mounted therein by means of the tubular stem V, out from between the'posts and to hold it thus entirely out of the vertical path of the parts which may be carried upward by the ram. The stem V is'adapted to have a short vertical movement in the casting W to raise and lower the head, and for the purpose of giving it this movement there is journaled in the lugs 20 'w of the casting W a rock-shat t W, which is deflected between the two hearings to form a crank-wrist W and the stem V is formed with a lug or flange V projecting laterally from the pipe between the lugs 10 10 said lugs V. having the aperture t', which admits the crank-wrist W One of the lugs 20 is also provided with an elongated aperture 10 to admit the crank of the shaft W which is inserted longitudinally, the crank passing through the aperture 10 and then into the aperture 7% of the lug V the end of the shaft finally entering the bearing in the opposite lug w. The shape of the aperture 11 is such as permits the crank to have movement toonehundred and eighty degrees as the shaft is rocked and in such movement to raise or lower the stem and thereby the head. In Fig. 1 the crank is shown in the lowest position, where it will be seen that being directly in line below the shaft it serves to lock the head at said lowest position, and in Fig. 6 the crank is shown at the highest position, where it is notonly directly over the shaft, but also lodged in an acute angle of the aperture 12 and locks the head at said highest position. The shaft W has a handle W by which it may be rocked through one hundred and eighty degrees to raise and lower the head. This handle serves also as a handle for the entire frame, of which the casting W is a part, so that the operator,

seizing the handle and throwing it over to rock the shaft and lift the head, may then, without releasing his grasp on the handle, slide the frame to withdraw the head laterally, as hereinafter described. The tubular stem V is deflected laterally above its point of fastening in the casting W, making an elbow at V, and at this elbow in line with the vertical branch of the pipe or stem there is formed a boss V which is apertured in line with the vertical branch of the pipe and through which there is extended the stem of the valve X, which seats upwardly in the lower end of the stem Vthat is to say, at the center of the flange-plate R. A stuffingbox V in the boss makes the stem watertight where it emerges, and a lever X, fulcrumed 011 the laterally-deflected pipe V, is connected to the pnotruding end of the stem a: to operate the valve, a spring X interposed between the stuffing-box and the lever, tending to hold the valve seated. A flexible tube V connected to the deflected end of the pending from the upper end A of the press is a downwardly-open tapering jacket Z, and in said jacket is an expansible and reducible head Z, similar in construction to the head which comprises the parts R and S already described, except that it is without the valveopening at the center of the flange-plate. This head is secured to a stem Z which extends upward through the head-plate A of the press and has above the latter a cross-head Z, to which it is adjustably secured and from which rods .2 extend down through the headplate A and to some distance below the latter, having at their lower ends stop and-adjusting nuts .2 above which are flanges 2 and on the rods between the flanges and the head-plate are coiled springs Z which tend to resist the upward movement of the head Z and to hold it as low as permitted by the length of the rod Z the cross-head Z acting as a stop against movement in this direction.

The operation of my improved press will now be described.

The parts being adjusted as shown in Fig. 1, there is formed a closed mold-cavity into which the pulp may be introduced through the stem V of the upper head. Assuming the pipe V connected to the reservoir or pump which supplies the pulp, the valve X being opened, the mold-cavity is filled, the water draining olf rapidly through the perforated inner form G, wherein it escapes through the apertures e in the flange E and also draining through the perforated sheet-metal lips L L of the staves which form the reducible jacket and through the perforated lips or flanges of the slides F F F and T T T, 850., a certain delay being allowed to permit as much water to escape by mere drainage as experience may indicate is prudent or best, the ram is forced upward and carries up with it the annular table 0 and central reducible head therein and the reducible jacket and upper plate H, the upper head being guided and retained in central position during such movement by the frame which comprises the casting W, said frame being for this purpose and this portion of the action in the position shown in Fig. 5. Such upward movement of the parts described causes the staves to be forced inward by the engagement of their cam slopes with the rings M and N, which do not share in said upward movement. The inward movement of the staves, reducing the diameter of the jacket, compresses the pulp between the same and the inner form G, and the upward movement compresses the head of the vessel between the upper end of said inner form and the upper reducible head, said head being radially reduced by the inward movement of the staves, between whose upper ends it is embraced. The angle of the cam slopes on the radial ribs or staves is about forty-five degrees, so that compression caused by the inward movement of the staves is substantially equal to that caused by the upward movement of the inner form toward the upper head, and the sides and bottom of the vessel are thus equally compressed in this portion of the operation. When this process has proceeded to such extent that the staves of the reducible jacket at their inner edges have reached or slightly passed the inner circumference of the annular table 0 and coincide with or rest upon the outer ends of the slides of the central reducible table or lower head, the table 0 will be disengaged from the ram by operating the lever O to withdraw the pins G and O andthe entire structure,which comprises the annular plates 0 and H and the re ducible and expansible jacket, whose staves are guided in said plates, will be allowed to descend, yielding to gravity and the action of the springs Q, causing the staves to be withdrawn radially away from the vessel which has been molded within them. The upper head being new lifted by means of the lever W, as above described, and being thus disengaged from the bottom of the vessel which it has formed, the entire frame comprising the casting W and its arms carrying this head will be moved laterally on the bars W until the entire structure moves out of the vertical path which the lower head and molded body now supported thereon must take to enter the upper jacket Z. The ram nowbeing advanced upwardly carries the molded body, which rests at its lower edge on the margin of the central reducible table or lower head of the mold, up into the tapering jacket Z until its upper end encounters the upper reducible head, which being identical in'form with the upper head employed in the preceding process fits accurately in the bottom of the vessel as molded in the former process. The vessel is now completely inclosed in a tapering jacket bounded by a reducible head below and a similar reducible head above, and the upward vanced into the tapering jacket, both heads a being similarly reduced radially as the ad- Vance is made. The upper head, it will be observed, will be advanced upwardly in thetapering jacket to the extent only that the pressure exerted by the molded body below.

it overcomes the resistance of the springs Z.

The tension of these springs may be adjusted, l as desired, by the nuts 2 and thus the den-;

sity of the bottom of the vessel may be made substantially the same as the density of the sides, and any inequality in this respect;

which may be found to result from the fact that the pulp to form the bottom is last supplied and that the drainage which occurs before the compressing movement is commenced may not be perfectly equal as between the bottom and sides may be corrected in this final process by suitable adjustment of the tension of the springs Z. The vessel being compressed to any desirable extent in this upper' jacket is withdrawn by allowing the ram to descend and may be detached from the inner form before the latter enters the lower jacket.

The construction of the reducible heads both at top and bottom is such as to prevent the accumulation of pulp in the way of the slides, which are radially movable to effect the reduction and expansion of the heads. A difficulty of this nature which has been heretofore experienced in such devices is avoided by making the outer member of the rigid central portion of each of these reducible headsin the form of a spider, as described, comprising a hub and radial arms springing therefrom and supporting an annulus which is opposed to the opposite member and between which and said opposite member the slides are guided. With this construction any pulp which may enter between the lips of the slides and which might otherwise accumulate at the inner ends and obstruct their inward movement easily escapes between the arms of the spider of the outer head and is easily removed if it does not escape in the same manner between the arms of the spider of the upper heads, a jet of water directed between the spider arms against the opposite path being all that is necessary at any time to flush out the space and move any obstructing pulp or other matter which may have accumulated.

The construction of the annular plate 0, as shown in Fig. 8, so that it has an inner annular margin perfectly plain and at the level of the bottom of the grooves in which the staves are guided, and the construction of the staves, so that their lapping lips extend to the extreme end of the staves and down inthe possibility of any obstruction to the movement of the staves by reason of the pulp accumulating in the guiding-grooves is prevented.

I claim 1. In a compressing mold, a reducible jacket comprising radially-movable staves and top and bottom plates between which the staves are retained endwise and in which the ends of the staves are guided in the radial movement, and means for giving the staves equal simultaneous radial movement.

2. In a press for molding vessels, which comprises a radially-reducible jacket composed of staves which are radially movable; a bottom plate having an annular portion of its upper face occupied by radial grooves and intervening ribs, and the inner portion of its said surface located in the plane of the bottom ofthe grooves; a top plate havingcorrespending grooves on its lower face, the staves being guided in said grooves at top and bottom and having lips which extend to the plane of the bottom of the groove and arranged thereby to sweep the innerportion of the upper surface of the bottom plate as the staves move inward.

3. In a compressing mold, a reducible jacket comprising radially-movable staves and a radially-reducible head which is embraced by the ends of the staves and reduced by their inward movement, top and bottom plates having radial grooves in which the ends of the staves are guided, and means for giving the staves equal simultaneous radial movement.

4:. In a press for molding vessels,which comprises a radially-reducible jacket composed of staves and a radially-reducible head which is embraced by the ends of the staves and reduced by their inward movement, top and bottom plates having radial grooves in which the ends of the staves are guided, and means for giving the staves equal and simultaneous radial movement.

5. In a press for m olding vessels,which comprises a radially-reducible jacket composed of staves and a radially-reducible head which is embraced by the ends of the staves; a bottom plate having an annular portion of its upper face occupied by radial grooves and intervening ribs, and the inner portion of said surface located in the plane of the bottoms of the grooves, the top plate having corresponding grooves on its lower face; the staves guided in said grooves at top and bottom, and having lips which lap each other successively in circumferential order, such lips extending to the plane of the bottom of the grooves, and arranged thereby to sweep the inner portion of the upper surface of the bottom plate as the staves move inward.

6. In a reducible jacket consisting of a complete circular series of radially movable staves having lips or flanges at their inner edges, which successively lap each other in circumferential order, such staves having their inner edges cutaway at one side and such lips being formed of angularly-folded sheet metal having one flange or wing lodged on the cut-away portion of the side of the rib and the other flange or wing constituting the lapping lip of the stave.

7. In a reduciblejacket consisting of a complete circular series of radially movable staves having lips or flanges at their inner edges which successively lap each other in circumferential order, such staves having their inner edges beveled at one side and such lips being formed of angularly-folded sheet metal having one flange or wing seated on and secured at the beveled surface of the stave, and the other flange or wing extending transversely past the inner edge of the stave, and constituting the lapping lip thereof.

8. In a reducible mold,a reducible head comprising an inner and outer plate rigidly connected, slides lodged between the plates and radially guided on one of them, alternate slides having on the face toward the other plate, lips or flanges which project over the intervening slides and are adapted to meet edge to edge when the slides are thrust radially inward.

9. In a reducible mold,a reducible head comprising a rigid portion and radially-movable slides guided therein, the guideways of such slides terminating at their inner ends in a chamber and said chamber being open at the outer side to permit the escape of any matter which may be forced in by the slides.

10. In a reducible mold, a reducible head comprising a rigid portion and radially-movable slides guided therein, springs which tend to hold the slides outward, and stop-lugs on the slides engaging the rigid portion to limit positively and definitely said outward movement.

11. In a press for molding vessels, a reduci ble mold comprising a complete circular series of radially-movable staves having flanges at their inner edges; a table on which said staves are supported, and means for advancing the table and staves axially with respect to the mold, the staves having sloping shoulders at their outer edges, and fixed annular plates or rings which are encountered by the cam slopes of the staves as the latter are moved longitudinally, whereby inward radial movement of the staves is caused; suitable means for guiding the staves radially, and springs attached to one of the annular plates or rings, and connected to the staves respectively to yieldingly resist their inward movement and to retract them.

12. In combination with the table and the staves supported thereon and having the sloping exterior shoulders, the fixed rings which said shoulders encounter as said table is advanced; springs mounted on one of the rings, and links from the springs to the staves respectively, the springs being arranged to resist the inward movement of the staves and to retract them, and the links being of suitable length to accommodate the longitudinal movement of the grooves; substantially as set forth.

13. In a reducible mold, a reducible head comprising two members which are rigidly united, the outer of said members being in the form of a spider having a hub by means of which it is united with the other member, and an annulus connected with said hub by openspaced arms; radially-movable slides operated between said two members and guided on the annulus of the outer member and having lapping flanges facing the opposite member.

14. In a press for molding vessels, in combination with the reducible mold comprising a compressing-jacket and a removable head, a second jacket above such mold; a frame by which such head is carried; mechanism for moving the head vertically in the frame while the frame remains fixed with respect to the jacket,and supports on which such frame is adapted to slide laterally to withdraw and carry the head out of the path of the vessel from the lower to the upper jacket.

15. In a machine for molding vessels by compression, a reducible jacket and a reducible head for the same; a table on which the reducible jacket is carried, and means for advancing the table and for closing up the jacket as the table advances; a support for the head adapted to resist the advance of the latter while the table and jacket are advanced; mechanism for withdrawing the head vertically by movement with respect to such support to cause it to clear the jacket, a central portion of the table being movable independently of the remainder, the remainder being disengageable to permit it and the jacket carried thereby to withdraw, leaving the central portion and the molded body thereon advanced and in position to be further advanced, the support for the movable head being itself laterally movable after the vertical movement of the head with respect thereto to withdraw it and the head carried thereby out of the path of the advance of the table.

16. In combination with the press-frame having posts or strain-rods, and molding devices mounted and guided therein and comprising the movable reducible head of the mold,horizontal bars W secured on the strainrods or posts and extending beyond the same at one side; a frame mounted on said rods and adapted to slide thereon to a position outside the posts, said frame having a supporting and guiding bearing for the movable head,and mechanism mounted on such sliding frame for raising and lowering said movable head to clear it of the mold.

17. In a machine for molding vessels by pressure, in combination with the main frame, a reducible mold comprising a jacket, and a head embraced between the staves of the jacket; suitable means for advancing the jacket longitudinally with respect to the main frame and thereby reducing such jacket radially; a supplemental frame in which the YIS head is supported during such advancing and reducing movement of the jacket, such supplem ental frame being supported on the main frame, and means for raising and lowering the head with respect to the supplemental frame, while said frame is fixed with respect to the main frame, and means for locking the head rigidly with respect to the supplemental frame to prevent such movement of the head relatively thereto.

18. In combination with the reducible head havinga stem, the frame comprising the casting WV, through which said stern extends and in which it is guided; the crank-shaft W in said frame and having a crank which engages the stem, said stem having a lug V having an aperture r in which the crank operates to raise and lower the stem and lock it at the extreme of such movement; substantially as set forth.

19. In a machine for forming vessels from pulp, in combination with a reducible mold for the same having a tubularstem and suitable fixed guide for such stem, the stem being extended without deflection to a point which is above the fixed guide at the lowest position of the head and deflected beyond such point, and having a supply-pipe connected to it beyond such deflection; a valve seating inwardly at the inner end of the tub ular stem, and having its stem emerging from the latter at the bend or deflection thereof, and suitable means exterior to the stem for operating the valve and holding it seated.

20. In a machine for making vessels of pulp,

in combination with the reducible mold and a removable head for the same, a frame in which said head is sustained and guided in proper relation to the mold; a tubular stem for such head extending through such guiding and sustaining frame and deflected beyond the latter and connected to a supply-pipe, the

valve seating inwardly at the inner end of the tubular stem and emerging from the latter at the deflection, and means for moving the head axially with respect to such guiding and sustaining frame, and means for moving the frame to carry the head in a direction transverse to the axis away fron1.the mold.

21. In a machine for making vessels of pulp, in combination with a jacket and an inner form, between which the body of the vessel may be compressed, a reducible head adapted to support the inner form and enter the jacket, and a reducible upper head within the jacket; a stem extending from such upper head through a fixed guide; a cross-head on said stem above the guide, links from opposite ends of such cross-head extending back through the fixed guide, adjustable stops on the lower ends of said links, and springs interposed be- 

